After a century of gradual penetration by bands of Spanish explorers from São Paulo and by Jesuit missionaries, the territory of the present state was occupied, to a large extent, by the forces of a Portuguese emissary, Gabriel de Lara, in the 1640s. Gold was discovered at several locations in the 17th century and attracted settlers. Eventually recognized as belonging to Portugal’s sphere of influence, rather than Spain’s, the territory was attached at first to the captaincy of São Paulo and subsequently to the province of the same name. Paraná became a separate province of the Brazilian Empire in 1853 and later a state of the Brazilian Republic in 1891.

Paraná can be divided into five topographic zones, each running approximately northeast to southwest. Proceeding westward there is the coastal region, fringed with dunes and mangrove swamps and backed by the high mountain ranges of the Serra do Mar to the west. The Serro do Mar, rising to the peak of Serra da Graciosa (6,193 feet [1,888 metres]), forms a watershed between the coastal region and the first of the three successive plateaus farther westward, each lower than the one before. The first plateau, which lies at a height of between 2,700 and 3,000 feet (800 and 900 metres) above sea level, is formed mainly of crystalline rock. On the western side of the first plateau, a cuesta (an escarpment with a steep slope on one side and a gentle slope on the other) rising to heights of from 3,500 to 3,800 feet (1,050 to 1,150 metres) marks the beginning of the second plateau. A basaltic scarp with a maximum elevation of 3,800 feet rises at the western border of the second plateau, forming the eastern edge of the third plateau, which slopes westward and downward until it reaches the fringes of the Paraná River.

Three major rivers cross the second and third plateaus. Two of them, the Iguaçu and the Ivaí rivers, flow westward and are immediate tributaries of the Paraná River. The third major river is the Tibagi, which flows northward to join the Paranapanema River tributary of the Paraná. The Paraná River borderland (the state’s fifth topographic zone) has low elevations and steep gullies and is dominated by rainforest.

Paraná state, the northern region of which crosses the Tropic of Capricorn, has a moderately warm climate. Winters are dry in the northwest, while other parts receive adequate precipitation throughout the year. Summers are hot in the lower elevations and cooler—below 72 °F (22 °C)—at the higher elevations. On the coast the annual mean temperature is 70 °F (21 °C) at Paranaguá, and the rainfall reaches 81 inches (2,057 mm) annually, with the largest amounts falling in January and February.

Dense tropical rainforest extends along certain tracts of the Atlantic coast and over the uplands into the Paraná River borderland. Some areas of the state consist of treeless savanna, and there are localized bushlands.

The people of the state are largely of Portuguese-Brazilian descent. After the Portuguese, waves of other immigrants began to arrive as labourers and businessmen; these included Poles, Ukrainians, Italians, Germans, Arabs, Dutch, and Japanese. The common language is Portuguese, and the principal religion is Roman Catholicism.

The state is responsible for primary and secondary education. Among the institutions of higher learning are the Federal University of Paraná and the Catholic University of Paraná, both located in Curitiba.

Paraná is one of the richer states of Brazil. Intensively developed plantations have made Paraná one of Brazil’s chief producers of coffee, the most important centres for this crop being Umuarama, Rondon, and Londrina. Other important crops are Indian or Paraguay tea (maté), cotton, peanuts (groundnuts), and ramie (a strong, lustrous fibre capable of being spun or woven). Lumbering is also economically important.

Corn (maize) is grown for the most part around Ivaiporã, Rondon, and Toledo. Rice, cassava, potatoes, beans, oats, rye, barley, and wheat are cultivated quite widely, as are garlic, onions, tomatoes, and soybeans. Sugarcane is grown mainly around Porecatu. Fruit production includes oranges, bananas, grapes, and pineapples.

Paraná’s livestock herds have been much enlarged and improved with help from government agencies. Pigs, sheep, cattle, and horses are raised. Dairy products and wool are marketed from the northern and eastern parts of the state.

In addition to a regular output of dolomite (a type of limestone or marble), lead, iron, talc, and lime, Paraná produces coal from Venceslau Brás and cement from Rio Branco do Sul.

The main railroad in Brazil from São Paulo to the south traverses the eastern half of Paraná state; an important branchline from Ponta Grossa serves Curitiba and the Atlantic ports. Highways link the state with São Paulo to the north and Santa Catarina to the south. The rivers are generally navigable only for limited distances. Paranaguá and Antonina are the chief seaports, and Curitiba and Londrina have the chief airports.

Several towns have public libraries, the most notable at Curitiba. The theatre at Guaíra, the best known in the state, is widely known in South America; its architecture is in the modern style. Area 76,956 square miles (199,315 square km). Pop. (2010) 10,444,526.

Learn More in these related articles:

country of South America that occupies half the continent’s landmass. It is the fifth largest country in the world, exceeded in size only by Russia, Canada, China, and the United States, though its area is greater than that of the 48 conterminous U.S. states. Brazil faces the Atlantic Ocean...